Developer: Double Fine Productions, Inc

Publisher: Electronic Arts, Inc

Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3

Played on: PS3

Rating: 9 out of 10

Rated: M (for Mature)

The Deal:

Acclaimed game designer Tim Schafer may finally become a household name by worshipping at the altar of heavy metal. Known best for his wildly fantastical, but poorly selling, cult-status games (Grim Fandango, Psychonauts), Schafer has once again created a unique fantasyland with the creation of Brutal Legend, an over-the-top action adventure game staring Jack Black (in live action and voice acting roles), Ozzy Osbourne, Tim Curry and more.

You play Eddie Riggs (voiced by Black), a live-by-the-code roadie who finds himself plunged into a heavy metal paradise / alternate universe where the forces of good (heavy metal) try to reclaim their land and defeat the forces of evil (commercialized hair metal and, gasp!, emo). The jack-of-all-trades Eddie is a godsend to this land as he uses his roadie skills (hauling, sneaking, repairing and tuning) to fight enemies and bring peace to humans in this heavy metal kingdom.

Brutal Legend earns major points for having a well-written and directed story. The voice acting provided by Hollywood vets is outstanding and the comedy is well-timed and delivered (not an easy feat in the video game world). In terms of actual gameplay, things get a bit shoddy. Demos released before the launch of Brutal Legend made it seem that this game was mostly an action-adventure hack-and-slash with a driving mechanic and some timed event sequences. The big reveal of playing through the whole game was the amount of RTS (real time strategy) the game employs. While a mixture of game types is most certainly welcome, the experience is soured when controls are oversimplified and imprecise, which unfortunately exists throughout this game.

The Good:

-Brutal Legend is an all-out tribute to heavy metal music and the borrowing of culture seems very authentic throughout the game. Being "metal" is woven throughout all aspects (and attitudes) of the game – from the characters, weapons, environments and more. Side missions throughout the game allow you to seek and unlock heavy metal lore that acts as the game's backstory.

-While there is generally a linear storyline in Brutal Legend, there is also an open world for Eddie to explore on foot or in his metal mobile, called "The Deuce," a.k.a "The Druid Plow." There are about 30 side missions for Eddie to complete between chapters of the main mission that are essentially mini games involving racing, hunting, or fighting off waves of enemies.

-Since heavy metal music plays such a key role in this game, it's not surprising that actual metal tracks have been hand-selected to add to the soundtrack. These tracks only played on the Deuce's radio once players obtain “The Mouth of Metal” from the Motor Forge (a metal underworld where players can upgrade their weapons and vehicles from the Guardian of Metal, voiced by Ozzy Osbourne).

-For the most part, the majority of the main missions are short bursts of action that require battling using typical attack tactics with your main weapons, or driving challenges. Boss battles and missions later in the game put more emphasis on the RTS elements. If you're not a strategic thinker, be prepared for those short missions to turn into epic, agonizing wars.

The Bad:

-The worst part of Brutal Legend is the bait-and-switch from action adventure game to real time strategy game. Imprecise RTS controls make it very hard to order troops around the battlefield. And that's a crucial flaw when there is a ton of action happening on the battlefield – killing giant leeches, playing guitar solos, building merch booths, building up troops, upgrading your stage, setting troops into place….oh yeah, and somewhere in there you should be moving into enemy territory and kicking ass. Experienced RTS players may like the challenge, but the controls are clunky and don't allow for precise tactics. Inexperienced RTS players may just walk away after rounds of frustrating losses. Unfortunately, RTS battles are also the focus of multiplayer levels.

The Final Word: Brutal Legend is a hilarious heavy metal tribute that has many extreme moments that either lift you up or smack you down with the force of a heavy metal titan.

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